As the present cost of dwelling construction rises and the trend to smaller living space continues, an urgent need arises for a compact work bench for those people who are residing in a small apartment, condominuim or small houses known as "town houses". The present invention provides a very compact hobby work bench with a sturdy rigid seat that folds to a nesting position within the body of the work bench, when not in use, and occupies a very small amount of room space. When the exterior surfaces of the invention are finished in an attractive wood panel type of finish, the invention appears to resemble a cabibet and is compatible with articles of furniture usually found in the living areas of the average home.
In addition to the foregoing features, the present invention provides very generous storage space within the confines of the body, even after the folding seat is moved to a nesting position, and much in the way of tools, vises, small materials and supplies may be stored therein.
Although there has been activity in this field that dates back before the turn of the century, a recent patent search does not reveal anything in the prior art that discloses or anticipates the novel features and construction of the present invention.
A good number of the structures shown in the proper art are very complicated and have a construction design requiring the use of many component parts which are difficult and expensive to make and to assemble. In addition to the difficulty and expense of making such articles, the general appearance of the article after folding is so untidy, that it is necessary to store such furniture in an area away from ordinary living areas. Examples of complicated structure and unsightly appearance after folding can be found in Karschitz et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,367,908, Bulik et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,173,480, and Schrader et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,766,812. By contrast, the present invention provides a novel structure, which when in a nested position, presents a very pleasing exterior appearance that blends in with various articles of furniture, is very tidy in appearance, need not be removed from a living area, and which also provides concealed storage for tools and materials.
Also found in the prior art of record is a variety of tables with folding seats or benches. Examples of such tables are: Blossom et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,321,177, McDaniel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 362,223, Lewandoski at al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,457,582, Green et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,160, and Wohlk et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,539,603. Although the foregoing structures do have something in common with the present invention, they appear to have a primary object of simply providing vacant floor space when the seats or benches are not in use.
Of greater interest as prior art is Sell et al., U.S. Pat. No. 430,442. The sell Patent discloses a desk and other articles of furniture having seating structures that may be folded and stored within the interior of the furniture. The present invention however is primarily a work bench. The construction of the present invention provides a very rigid structure. Because of the many varied uses to which a work bench may be put, the structure must be such that it can withstand strong force vectors in all directions. The present invention provides strong rigid locking means to securely lock the component parts together against movement in any given direction. With weight of the user resting on the seat of the present invention, all force vectors exerted against the work surface are confined within the structure. As the seat is securely connected to the work surface via the rails. The work surface cannot move away from the seat or the user and remains stationary on the floor surface. This feature is not found in the prior art of record as cited herein and in itself, represents a novel and useful departure from the prior art. Also of interest is Balmos et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,867,799, disclosing a chair seat that is foldable and storable in a sewing machine cabinet. The foregoing description of the present invention also applies to Balmos et al. as well as to McNamara et al., U.S. Pat. No. 1,256,811.
The present invention, therefore, presents a very novel and useful departure from the prior art and provides a decor compatible work bench that may be quickly placed in position for use, may be used for tool storage, and when returned to a nested position will appear as an article of furniture in a living area of most dwellings.
Although but a few of the novel features of the present invention have been described, the novelty and usefulness of the invention will become more apparent after a reading of the summary and detailed description that follow.